Vista - quad core only operating on 2 cores

Hippo · 10-24-2008

About 8 months ago I put together a computer running Vista ultimate 64 on an EVGA 780i, 8gb ram, and Intel E6850 (3.0 dual). Everything went smoothly, and it hasn't had any huge hiccups since.

About 2 months ago I picked up a Q9400 (quad 2.6). I shut down my computer, installed it, and re-booted. The BIOS detected the 4 2.6 cores in the POST. Windows did a little firmware fiddling on its own as I'd expected, and continued to boot normally. When I opened the task manager to take a look at the performance, I saw it only had 2 cores displayed. Puzzled I checked the device manager, and under processors, it shows 2 'unknown device' entries.

Now, the 2 cores it foes find work fine and just marginally slower than the 3.0's i had before, so I didn't immediately try and get an RMA or anything (I'm not sure if its a hardware failure or something else), but due to some insane scheduling conflicts, I didn't get around to fiddling with it or getting an RMA replacement before the time limit expired.

Anybody have any ideas? I've contemplated a fresh OS install, but I'm not too keen on it for now.

**Brink** · 10-24-2008

Quote: Originally Posted by Hippo

About 8 months ago I put together a computer running Vista ultimate 64 on an EVGA 780i, 8gb ram, and Intel E6850 (3.0 dual). Everything went smoothly, and it hasn't had any huge hiccups since.

About 2 months ago I picked up a Q9400 (quad 2.6). I shut down my computer, installed it, and re-booted. The BIOS detected the 4 2.6 cores in the POST. Windows did a little firmware fiddling on its own as I'd expected, and continued to boot normally. When I opened the task manager to take a look at the performance, I saw it only had 2 cores displayed. Puzzled I checked the device manager, and under processors, it shows 2 'unknown device' entries.

Now, the 2 cores it foes find work fine and just marginally slower than the 3.0's i had before, so I didn't immediately try and get an RMA or anything (I'm not sure if its a hardware failure or something else), but due to some insane scheduling conflicts, I didn't get around to fiddling with it or getting an RMA replacement before the time limit expired.

Anybody have any ideas? I've contemplated a fresh OS install, but I'm not too keen on it for now.

Hello Hippo,

I would try resetting your BIOS settings back to factory defauts to see if it can properly detect your CPU afterwards.

Hope this helps,
Shawn

10-24-2008

In message <951663a4c4bae7616726eb07324e0333@xxxxxx-gateway.com> Hippo
<guest@xxxxxx-email.com> was claimed to have wrote:

Quote:

>
>About 8 months ago I put together a computer running Vista ultimate 64
>on an EVGA 780i, 8gb ram, and Intel E6850 (3.0 dual). Everything went
>smoothly, and it hasn't had any huge hiccups since.
>
>About 2 months ago I picked up a Q9400 (quad 2.6). I shut down my
>computer, installed it, and re-booted. The BIOS detected the 4 2.6 cores
>in the POST. Windows did a little firmware fiddling on its own as I'd
>expected, and continued to boot normally. When I opened the task manager
>to take a look at the performance, I saw it only had 2 cores displayed.
>Puzzled I checked the device manager, and under processors, it shows 2
>'unknown device' entries.
>
>Now, the 2 cores it foes find work fine and just marginally slower than
>the 3.0's i had before, so I didn't immediately try and get an RMA or
>anything (I'm not sure if its a hardware failure or something else), but
>due to some insane scheduling conflicts, I didn't get around to fiddling
>with it or getting an RMA replacement before the time limit expired.

I bumped into similar once upon a time when going from a slower dual
core to a newer faster dual core, suddenly only one core was functional.

In this case, the motherboard's BIOS needed an update.

(Do note the usual warnings about BIOS updates, specifically, it may
turn your motherboard into an expensive and rather poorly designed
doorstop)

10-24-2008

PAE switch on by any chance

--
Peter

Please Reply to Newsgroup for the benefit of others
Requests for assistance by email can not and will not be acknowledged.

"Hippo" <guest@xxxxxx-email.com> wrote in message news:951663a4c4bae7616726eb07324e0333@xxxxxx-gateway.com...

Quote:

>
> About 8 months ago I put together a computer running Vista ultimate 64
> on an EVGA 780i, 8gb ram, and Intel E6850 (3.0 dual). Everything went
> smoothly, and it hasn't had any huge hiccups since.
>
> About 2 months ago I picked up a Q9400 (quad 2.6). I shut down my
> computer, installed it, and re-booted. The BIOS detected the 4 2.6 cores
> in the POST. Windows did a little firmware fiddling on its own as I'd
> expected, and continued to boot normally. When I opened the task manager
> to take a look at the performance, I saw it only had 2 cores displayed.
> Puzzled I checked the device manager, and under processors, it shows 2
> 'unknown device' entries.
>
> Now, the 2 cores it foes find work fine and just marginally slower than
> the 3.0's i had before, so I didn't immediately try and get an RMA or
> anything (I'm not sure if its a hardware failure or something else), but
> due to some insane scheduling conflicts, I didn't get around to fiddling
> with it or getting an RMA replacement before the time limit expired.
>
>
> Anybody have any ideas? I've contemplated a fresh OS install, but I'm
> not too keen on it for now.
>
>
> --
> Hippo

SCSIraidGURU · 10-24-2008

I would reset the BIOS first to default. If that did not work, flash it to the latest rev. You might want to repair install your OS.

10-24-2008	#1 (permalink)
Hippo Vista Ultimate x64 1 posts	quad core only operating on 2 cores About 8 months ago I put together a computer running Vista ultimate 64 on an EVGA 780i, 8gb ram, and Intel E6850 (3.0 dual). Everything went smoothly, and it hasn't had any huge hiccups since. About 2 months ago I picked up a Q9400 (quad 2.6). I shut down my computer, installed it, and re-booted. The BIOS detected the 4 2.6 cores in the POST. Windows did a little firmware fiddling on its own as I'd expected, and continued to boot normally. When I opened the task manager to take a look at the performance, I saw it only had 2 cores displayed. Puzzled I checked the device manager, and under processors, it shows 2 'unknown device' entries. Now, the 2 cores it foes find work fine and just marginally slower than the 3.0's i had before, so I didn't immediately try and get an RMA or anything (I'm not sure if its a hardware failure or something else), but due to some insane scheduling conflicts, I didn't get around to fiddling with it or getting an RMA replacement before the time limit expired. Anybody have any ideas? I've contemplated a fresh OS install, but I'm not too keen on it for now.
My System Specs

10-24-2008	#2 (permalink)
Brink Vista x64 Ultimate SP2, Windows 7 Ultimate x64 26,023 posts	Re: quad core only operating on 2 cores Quote: Originally Posted by Hippo About 8 months ago I put together a computer running Vista ultimate 64 on an EVGA 780i, 8gb ram, and Intel E6850 (3.0 dual). Everything went smoothly, and it hasn't had any huge hiccups since. About 2 months ago I picked up a Q9400 (quad 2.6). I shut down my computer, installed it, and re-booted. The BIOS detected the 4 2.6 cores in the POST. Windows did a little firmware fiddling on its own as I'd expected, and continued to boot normally. When I opened the task manager to take a look at the performance, I saw it only had 2 cores displayed. Puzzled I checked the device manager, and under processors, it shows 2 'unknown device' entries. Now, the 2 cores it foes find work fine and just marginally slower than the 3.0's i had before, so I didn't immediately try and get an RMA or anything (I'm not sure if its a hardware failure or something else), but due to some insane scheduling conflicts, I didn't get around to fiddling with it or getting an RMA replacement before the time limit expired. Anybody have any ideas? I've contemplated a fresh OS install, but I'm not too keen on it for now. Hello Hippo, I would try resetting your BIOS settings back to factory defauts to see if it can properly detect your CPU afterwards. Hope this helps, Shawn
My System Specs

10-24-2008	#3 (permalink)
DevilsPGD n/a posts	Re: quad core only operating on 2 cores In message <951663a4c4bae7616726eb07324e0333@xxxxxx-gateway.com> Hippo <guest@xxxxxx-email.com> was claimed to have wrote: Quote: > >About 8 months ago I put together a computer running Vista ultimate 64 >on an EVGA 780i, 8gb ram, and Intel E6850 (3.0 dual). Everything went >smoothly, and it hasn't had any huge hiccups since. > >About 2 months ago I picked up a Q9400 (quad 2.6). I shut down my >computer, installed it, and re-booted. The BIOS detected the 4 2.6 cores >in the POST. Windows did a little firmware fiddling on its own as I'd >expected, and continued to boot normally. When I opened the task manager >to take a look at the performance, I saw it only had 2 cores displayed. >Puzzled I checked the device manager, and under processors, it shows 2 >'unknown device' entries. > >Now, the 2 cores it foes find work fine and just marginally slower than >the 3.0's i had before, so I didn't immediately try and get an RMA or >anything (I'm not sure if its a hardware failure or something else), but >due to some insane scheduling conflicts, I didn't get around to fiddling >with it or getting an RMA replacement before the time limit expired. I bumped into similar once upon a time when going from a slower dual core to a newer faster dual core, suddenly only one core was functional. In this case, the motherboard's BIOS needed an update. (Do note the usual warnings about BIOS updates, specifically, it may turn your motherboard into an expensive and rather poorly designed doorstop)
My System Specs

10-24-2008	#4 (permalink)
Peter Foldes n/a posts	Re: quad core only operating on 2 cores PAE switch on by any chance -- Peter Please Reply to Newsgroup for the benefit of others Requests for assistance by email can not and will not be acknowledged. "Hippo" <guest@xxxxxx-email.com> wrote in message news:951663a4c4bae7616726eb07324e0333@xxxxxx-gateway.com... Quote: > > About 8 months ago I put together a computer running Vista ultimate 64 > on an EVGA 780i, 8gb ram, and Intel E6850 (3.0 dual). Everything went > smoothly, and it hasn't had any huge hiccups since. > > About 2 months ago I picked up a Q9400 (quad 2.6). I shut down my > computer, installed it, and re-booted. The BIOS detected the 4 2.6 cores > in the POST. Windows did a little firmware fiddling on its own as I'd > expected, and continued to boot normally. When I opened the task manager > to take a look at the performance, I saw it only had 2 cores displayed. > Puzzled I checked the device manager, and under processors, it shows 2 > 'unknown device' entries. > > Now, the 2 cores it foes find work fine and just marginally slower than > the 3.0's i had before, so I didn't immediately try and get an RMA or > anything (I'm not sure if its a hardware failure or something else), but > due to some insane scheduling conflicts, I didn't get around to fiddling > with it or getting an RMA replacement before the time limit expired. > > > Anybody have any ideas? I've contemplated a fresh OS install, but I'm > not too keen on it for now. > > > -- > Hippo
My System Specs

10-24-2008	#5 (permalink)
SCSIraidGURU Vista x64 Ultimate 1,823 posts	Re: quad core only operating on 2 cores I would reset the BIOS first to default. If that did not work, flash it to the latest rev. You might want to repair install your OS.
My System Specs

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